At least 1000 Kenyans have registered with the Kenyan Embassy in New Delhi, India but only 22 of them expressed willingness to return to their mother country.
The mission headed by Ambassador Willy Bett had asked Kenyans stuck in India to register with the mission to enable it make proper travel arrangements.
Last week on Wednesday, Bett formally asked the Indian government for permission to allow Kenyans stuck in various parts of India travel to New Delhi ahead of repatriation via Kenya’s national carrier, Kenya Airways.
However, independent investigations by Nation showed that only 122 people who are Kenyan patients receiving treatment in India were willing to pay their airfare as directed by the Kenyan government.
A fortnight ago, the government maintained that it will only make travel arrangements but those returning to Kenya must be ready to pay for their tickets which is Ksh85, 894 for business class and Sh45,635 for the economy class.
Kenya Airways, on the other hand, said that it requires at least 200 people to board the chartered flight.
Bett still holds that the flight will leave Mumbai for Kenya on May 7.
“The planned flight will depart from Mumbai on May 7, 2020 at 1200 hrs,” he said adding that “This is neither an evacuation nor a repatriation but simply a facilitation to help.”
Sadly, some of the patients who were forced to stay longer in India have been re-admitted after falling sick once again due to the harsh conditions of lockdown in India.
There were over 100 Kenyans receiving treatment in India at the time of lockdown.
Only 22 Kenyans out of 1000 registered with Kenyan Embassy in India willing to return to Kenya“Some have fallen sick again due to the lengthy stay and the circumstances and have been re-admitted,” said Jecinter Hezron spokesperson of a group of over 100 Kenyan patients stranded in Bengaluru, Karnataka State and other parts of India.
